African polio immunization plan begins

GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has started a series of immunization campaigns in parts of Africa to prevent the disease from returning.

The campaign -- supported by the U.N.'s World Health Organization, Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF -- was organized after a polio case was confirmed in Somalia, a nation that had been polio-free since 2002, Xinhua, China's main government-run news agency, reported Tuesday.

The plan calls for immunization campaigns this month and next to reach more than 34 million children in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The large-scale response is largely being funded by a $25 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other donors including the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission, Xinhua said.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.